Republican House Members Say Pelosi’s Speech Didn’t Sway Them

Posted on Sep 30, 2008

Despite House Minority Leader John Boehner’s claim, backed up by other Republicans in Congress, that the bailout bill might have passed were it not for meddling House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s bombastic speech on Monday, others from within GOP ranks beg to differ.

Politico’s “The Crypt” blog:

Republican Rep. John Shadegg said Tuesday that House Minority Leader John Boehner and other Republican leaders made a “stupid claim” by alleging that Nancy Pelosi’s speech changed any minds on the bailout.

“I do believe that we could have gotten there today had it not been for this partisan speech that the speaker gave on the floor of the House,” said Boehner after the failed vote on the bailout package. His leadership colleagues endorsed the opinion. Rep. Eric Cantor waved a copy of Pelosi’s speech and said the bailout went down because of Pelosi.

Shadegg said that he doesn’t know of a single GOP vote that shifted because of the speech.